Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pen-ball, n. [Pen n. 1.] A ball (prob. a golf ball) stuffed with feathers, ? a ‘feathery’ (SND, s.v. Feathery n., see also R. Browning A History of Golf (1955), esp. pp. i 35–8.) Cf. also flok goiff ballis. s.v. Golf-ball n. — 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. 119 b.
xij dosane xj golf ballis of the commoun sorte at xij s. the dosane … foure dosane viij pen ballis at xxj s. the dosane 1586 Ib. XV. 347 b.
Tuelf pen ballis at ij s. the peice 1594 Ib. XXVII. 100.
liij dosone of golf ballis … lxxiij pen ballis at xxviij s. the dosone 1611 Ib. XLVI. 320.
xij dosone pen ballis at xlv s. the dosone